A clutch is typically installed between a flywheel and a transmission input shaft to control power transmission from an engine to a transmission. A clutch disengages a transmission from an engine at the time of starting an engine or shifting a transmission gear, but slowly engages a transmission with an engine so that a vehicle can start moving and can be driven by the power of the engine.
Specifically, in the case of a manual transmission, when a shift lever is manipulated to change a transmission gear, it is necessary to interrupt power transmission from an engine to a transmission. In this case, a driver depresses a clutch pedal to interrupt power transmission from an engine.
In the case in which a driver shifts a shift lever to change a transmission gear after interrupting power transmission between an engine and a transmission by depressing a clutch pedal, and subsequently releases the clutch pedal, the clutch pedal is returned to an original position by hydraulic pressure of a master cylinder.
Clutch pedals are generally made of steel. Therefore, the raw material cost and weight of clutch pedals are high. Furthermore, since steel has low formability (moldability), it is difficult to form a complex structure with steel. For this reason, plastic clutch pedals have been developed. Plastic clutch pedals offer many advantages, for example, reduction in raw material costs and weight, and good formability of a complex structure.
However, plastic pedals are structurally weak when a connection portion between a pad depressed by a driver's foot and a master cylinder is long. That is, when a pedal arm is shaped to be bent sideways, stress is concentrated on the bent portion when the pedal is depressed. Consequently, the plastic pedal is prone to breaking.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.